Call for Proposals is now closed

Background

CIRN is a national network of vaccine and immunization researchers who develop and test methodologies related to the evaluation of vaccines and immunization in regard to safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness, and program implementation and evaluation. A directed CIRN renewal grant application was submitted to CIHR in February 2017, and the network was notified that it was fully funded for $10,083,334 over 55 months, 2017-2022. The first two years of the CIRN renewal, 100% of the funding was allocated toward research projects and administration, with funds reserved for years three, four, and five to address emerging research priorities.

For more information on the CIRN renewal, click here.

Priority Research Areas

CIRN’s overarching research priorities include:

–  Rapid evaluation for safety & immunogenicity (all ages)
–  Population based methods for vaccine effectiveness & safety (including AEFI)
–  Interventions that improve vaccine acceptance & uptake
–  Vaccine modelling & economic analysis

Following consultations with CIRN’s stakeholders, the following research topics were identified as priorities for the 2019 call for proposals. Proposals that address one or more of these areas will be given priority. These areas of priority have been reviewed by the Management Committee. Applicants submitting proposals not in the priority areas will be considered by the Management Committee if the relative importance of the proposed topic is emphasized.

– Identified Stakeholder Priorities (PDF) 

Key Considerations

For 2019, there will be approximately $1.2 million made available for up to eight new research projects, with the maximum funding available being $150,000/year per project. Four of the eight projects will be considered for two-year funding.

CIRN highly encourages applications by new investigators to CIRN. Our network comprises of many ‘members’ who have not been involved in any research projects to date, these individuals, although already members of CIRN would still be considered New Investigators for the purposes of this grant opportunity as long as they meet other CIHR New Investigator criteria.

Key Dates

The following dates will be used for the 2019 project selection:

Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline	Invitation Notice to Submit 5-Page Full Proposal	5-Page Full Proposal Deadline	Notification of Successful Project Applications	Funding Start Date of New Projects
Closed	February 8, 2019	March 29, 2019 4:00 p.m. ADT	May 1, 2019	June 1, 2019

How to Apply

Please carefully review the information below before applying. If applicants have any questions related to their eligibility, they are encouraged to contact the CIRN Network Management Office.

Step 1:
Review Letter of Intent Template	Be sure to carefully review all application requirements, as outlined in the template below: - CIRN LOI Template (PDF)
Step 2:
Complete Letter of Intent	Send completed LOI form to Sanela Moraca by 2 p.m. Atlantic time on January 31, 2019. Late applications will not be considered: sanela.moraca@iwk.nshealth.ca

Application Review Process

Letters of intent will be reviewed by the CIRN Management Committee, and selected investigators will be invited to submit a full five-page project proposal, with letters of intent that address one or more of the identified research areas given priority. Five-page project proposals will include: a one-page cover sheet, five pages describing the project, detailed project budget, and a budget justification description (all templates will be provided to successful LOI proponents). Full project proposals will then be reviewed by an Independent Peer Review Committee as well as the CIRN Management Committee.